Garmin-Cervélo rider suffered narrowing of external iliac artery
Eventual winner Travis Meyer (Garmin Transitions) descends down Fisken Road into Buninyong. (Image credit: Shane Goss)
With a renewed focus on the road, Travis Meyer (Garmin-Cervélo) had been hoping for a solid year in 2011, however the 21 year-old will instead spend the rest of the season on the recovery list, having undergone surgery on his left external iliac artery.
Meyer hasn't raced since the Bayern-Rundfahrt in late May. The five-time junior world champion on the track had been starting to experience a lack of power in his left leg, but at the same time, a lot of pain and general discomfort which was heightened whenever time trialling or climbing.
"The pain in my left leg got so bad that after about five minutes into a TT I would barely be able to use my left side," Meyer said.
Further investigation revealed that Meyer had a major narrowing of his external iliac artery, which was stopping the blood flow to his leg. It's the same condition suffered by Stuart O'Grady in 2002, and he also required surgery.
"I got the surgery done in Lyon on the 8th of June (my birthday) and had to stay in hospital for a week and then in a hotel in Lyon for another five days before I could get driven back to my apartment in Girona," Meyer explained.
"I have to have a good two months off the bike in order to recover, and then a nice slow progression from there. It is quiet a delicate procedure and one which should not be taken lightly. If you over do things to early then it can lead to more serious complications."
Meyer, who has serious potential as a classics rider, walked away from the boards for the 2011 season. He was unable to defend his 2010 Australian road race title (he finished 7th) before going on to ride the Tour Down Under which was won by his brother, Cameron. The Tour of Qatar and Haut Var followed. Meyer then finished with the main bunch in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, before finishing 112th overall at Bayern-Rundfahrt.
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"My season is basically over but I am making sure I am fully recovered so that I can hit the 2012 season running and hopefully with two good legs, I can have a better year."
As a sports journalist and producer since 1997, Jane has covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games, rugby league, motorsport, cricket, surfing, triathlon, rugby union, and golf for print, radio, television and online. However her enduring passion has been cycling.
Jane is a former Australian Editor of Cyclingnews from 2011 to 2013 and continues to freelance within the cycling industry.
